The future of Queen Creek’s Town Center is envisioned as a walkable, lively downtown that offers residents and visitors unique experiences.

The Queen Creek Town Council approved the Town Center Plan Update at the Oct. 4 meeting; the Plan and its market analysis identify action items for the next stage of development in the core of Queen Creek. The update builds upon the original Town Center Plan, adopted in 1994.

“This is a fantastic update to an already great plan,” stated Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney. “Our Town Center is the heart of our community, so it’s imperative that we have a clear, comprehensive plan for the area. We appreciate the feedback from our residents and businesses, and the outstanding guidance from our consultants – the success of this plan is a direct result of the collaborative approach and passion we all have for Queen Creek!”

Through a Request for Proposals process, Swaback Partners was selected as the lead consultant who worked closely with Gruen Gruen + Associates on the market analysis and Dibble Engineering on the traffic observation and connectivity analysis to create a comprehensive update to the plan.

The previous Town Center Plan, adopted by Council in March 2011, provided a strong framework for the update. The update focuses on a specific area of the 850-acre Town Center, which is defined in the plan as the core of the Town Center, extending from south of Ocotillo Road along Ellsworth Road to the Queen Creek Wash, and to the west by the Ellsworth Loop Road. The plan’s vision for the core is to create a vibrant and active district in the heart of Town Center that complements the culture and heritage of the community and provides a range of venues that celebrate all that is unique and special in Queen Creek.

Extensive resident, leadership and stakeholder outreach was conducted throughout the process, including several community meetings. The Economic Development Commission recommended approval of the Plan at its Sept. 27meeting.

“Staff is excited to begin implementing the recommendations outlined in the Town Center Plan Update. The update presents a cohesive vision and path for achieving a lively, walkable destination downtown,” shared Doreen Cott Economic Development Director. Recommendations from the market analysis include a range of businesses including specialty restaurants and retail shops, in addition to office uses. The Town’s Economic Development Department will work to implement the Plan’s action items, some of which are:

creating a Town Center Core Overlay District

preparing updated design guidelines

producing an overall cost analysis for capital expenditures

generating an overall drainage strategy for the Town Center Core

establishing a branding strategy for the core

Funding for these specific initiatives will be addressed throughout the budget year and future budget cycles.